Trump-inspired statistics department leadership by Antoni proposed
New BLS Nominee Faces Challenges Amid Controversy
E.J. Antoni, a conservative economist from the Heritage Foundation, has been nominated by former President Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Antoni's nomination comes after the abrupt firing of the previous BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, in August.
Antoni's nomination is currently awaiting Senate confirmation. However, his appointment has sparked concerns due to his past criticisms of the BLS's data methodology and his public questioning of the agency's statistics.
McEntarfer's dismissal was due to a BLS report showing weak job growth in July and significant downward revisions for the preceding two months. The most recent revisions by the BLS removed 258,000 jobs from the months of May and June, which was the largest downward revision since the beginning of the pandemic.
Trump accused McEntarfer, without evidence, of manipulating the numbers for political purposes. Antoni, on the other hand, has publicly expressed concerns about the recent labor market data and statistical revisions by the BLS.
The BLS has faced significant challenges in recent times, including losing 20% of its staff (from new hires to leadership) since January 2025. This has hindered the agency's ability to maintain and modernize key statistics.
The politically charged dismissal of McEntarfer and Trump's public accusations of "faked" and "rigged" statistics have further undermined public trust in the agency's impartiality and reliability.
Experts and stakeholders emphasize that Antoni's confirmation process is unusually critical, as the next BLS commissioner must not only manage the agency's technical responsibilities but also defend its independence against political interference and restore trust in its once highly respected statistics.
This situation reflects a significant moment for U.S. statistical agencies, with fears that political considerations may erode the independence and credibility vital for economic policymaking and public trust.
| Aspect | Details | |-----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Nominee | E.J. Antoni, Heritage Foundation economist, nominated by Trump in August 2025 | | Current Status | Awaiting Senate confirmation | | Controversies | - Fired prior commissioner McEntarfer following disputed jobs report | | | - Antoni criticized BLS methodology and data accuracy | | | - Trump accused BLS of “faking” data without evidence | | Agency Challenges | 20% staff loss since early 2025, undermining capacity | | | Calls for modernization and restoring public trust | | Concerns | Risk of political interference in BLS’s independent statistical role |
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